Wake Up
by Seafood Noodle
Summary: At first, I thought that one of Katniss Everdeen's biggest problem in life involves getting rid of that famous scowl on her face or her "helplessly adorable" stubbornness. I was wrong. Or maybe not entirely wrong. But there's only one thing I am sure about though: Katniss has a hard time keeping herself... awake.


**A/N: **This is my very first THG fanfic and also it's been a long time since I posted/updated something. I'm lazy, I know. Anyways, it's a short one but do let me know what you think.

Happy reading!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hunger Games series or any of its characters.

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"What did he say?"

Billowing white steam escapes the bathroom as Finnick's blonde head pops out through the slightly opened door to ask. He has been there inside for almost thirty minutes now, enjoying the hot bath his wife Annie prepared for him before taking their son little Fin out for some ice cream, and yet still shows no intent of leaving. God, he must really love water.

"SHE," I correct him. "…just told me to fuck off because it's 2am in the morning and then beep, that's it. I wasn't even able to introduce myself."

Finnick raises his brow at me and then shuts the door. I continue to ramble on how the person who just answered the call must be some nuts to think it's that early in the morning. The heat of the sun today is practically penetrating through the thick cement walls of Finnick's apartment that I can feel drops of sweat making their way between my eyebrows down to my nose then to the floor considering the fact that their room is comparably better among other rooms in the building including mine. Which gets me into thinking for a moment that it must be twice as hot inside the bathroom! What on earth is Finnick doing taking a hot bath in this kind of weather?

"Are you sure you've dialed the right number?" He asks, his voice resonating in that cramped room. I check the newspaper advertisement again for the digits and check the phone call history. The numbers are the same. I tell him yes and I almost freak myself out when he suddenly slams the door open.

"Damn it, Peeta!" he shouts. "Time zones! You made an international call!"

International call? What the hell is he talking about? "No! I don't think— she didn't sound— "

"Oh god, oh god." Now Finnick is panicking. He stumbles his way out, almost slipping, as he wraps a towel around his torso. "Annie will freakin' kill me!"

"What? Wh-why would she kill—-"

"Clear the dial history!" He commands, pointing to the phone in my hand. Though still confused, I follow what he said and starts to delete all calls when he cries "The bill!" and I am forced to stop and look at his horrified face. "She'll see the phone bill! Shit, I'm so fuckin' dead, Peeta! What should I do?! "

Honestly, I don't know what to say to Finnick so I do what I think is best at the moment and tell him, "Okay, first calm down and please put something, a-anything on." Somewhere in the middle of his panic attack, the towel fell down from his hips and all this time, I've been trying so hard not to be bothered by the sight in front me. Girls, I am sure, will enjoy the view though.

Minutes later, he comes back and thankfully, fully clothed. "So what was that all about?" I ask.

Finnick sighs, throws me a hesitant look but then takes a seat on the couch and begins his story. "You see, Annie caught me having, you know. On the phone. One night."

"Having what?"

"You know what I'm talking about!" I tell him no and he groans back, frustrated. "Really?"

"No idea," I answer but the moment I did, something pops into my head. Finnick. Phone. Annie. Angry. The thought is so hilarious I can barely imagine him doing it. "Aha! You had a S-O- "

"SSSHH!" He shushes me, slapping his hand over my mouth. As if anyone will hear us and even if someone did, why would they care? I quickly shove it away and laugh to my heart's content.

"I was lonely, you know!" He explains. "Annie was so stressed taking care of the baby she wouldn't let me— I was on a dry spell, okay? And I just needed some…release. That's the time I saw a pop ad on a website about a special 'phone service' and I tried it. I didn't know it was an overseas one though until an English woman answered. At first, we talked for a while and then suddenly she told me what she's doing and asked me what I want her to do and then things got heated and—-"

"And then Annie caught you." I finish for him, wincing. My stomach already hurts but I can't stop laughing. "On your first try! It must have been epic!"

"Oh no, I'm telling you, you wouldn't want to see Annie in her rage mode. It's like she recreated hell itself!" For a second, a smile forms on my lips as I watch Finnick's troubled face. I secretly admire how he loves and patronizes his wife that no one will believe that once, he used to be hooking up with all girls in the city. But sometimes, I also can't help but tease him too.

"Or maybe I do want to." I flash him a sly grin and type the phone number from the newspaper ad again.

"What the—? Stop— Give me the phone, Peet—" He dives into my direction but I am much quicker. I do a back roll over the couch and within seconds I am already ten feet away from him. "Damn it, are you choosing that babysitting job over my marriage?!"

"Haha! Hell yes!" I laugh, keeping the phone to my ear. I hear the dial tone. "I won't earn 200 dollars a day just by sitting here with you, will I?"

"Of course… y-you won't! But at least I'm keeping you, my lonely single friend, the BEST company," Finnick argues back, crossing his arms. He knows I hate it when he brings up my relationship status because honestly, I can care less about it. Sure I've dated some girls after I've moved to the city some six years ago but none of them were serious and neither was I. I left my home to pursue what I wanted to do ever since I was a child. I didn't come here to date and be someone's boyfriend. My hands are already full just by taking care of myself.

So what am I doing now trying my luck on this babysitting job?

I roll my eyes. "You know I need the money, Fin. For the-"

"For the bakery shop. I know," He resigns and goes back to the couch. "You left Kentucky to be the owner of soon to be the most famous pastry and cake shop in America." Ignoring the last part because it's a bit exaggerated, the rest of what Finnick said, I admit is true. The first time my father brought me in his workshop back at our house, I knew right then that like him, I wanted to be a baker too. I remember I would watch him whole day as he worked: kneading the dough, putting the trays in the oven, icing the cakes. From time to time, he would stop and point things out to me like how to do this and that and even though I was really young to understand what he was saying, I still listened. That's how I love spending time with him in our own bakery. And now, I am really glad that I did because I never would have thought that the day would come when he himself would forget that he is a baker and the fact that I am his son and he has a family. Much more, I didn't also expect that he would take his own life by jumping in front of—

"And don't forget the rent," I remind Finnick, getting rid of the thoughts that came to me just now. Just thinking of them brings out more unwanted memories so I always keep them at bay as much as I can. "I'm behind three months and I need to pay you as soon as possible."

"We told you, Peet. There's no need for that," He replies, exasperated. "You know you can always pay us anytime."

"Yeah I know but I don't want to do that to you guys." I am really grateful for all the help Finnick and Annie have been giving me since the incident of me getting fired from my last job but I don't want to owe them anymore. They've been such kind caretakers and good friends to me as well. But they've given me so much that letting them help me only makes me feel weak and worthless now. "And besides-"

"Hello?"

I almost drop the phone when someone finally speaks. I try to reply or say anything back but for some reason, I find my throat suddenly dry and no voice comes out from my mouth. Something's bothering me. Why do I have the feeling that this voice is the same voice that shouted at me minutes ago? That very same voice that told me to fuck off because it's 2 am in the morning. I see Finnick eyeing me worriedly but I assure him that I'm okay by shooing him away. In my attempt to recover my voice, I try wetting my mouth with my saliva then clear my throat. It worked. But before I can say anything again, I hear her speak again and I deeply pray to all gods that she won't hang up on me again this time.

"Hello? This is Katniss. What do you want?"

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You might think there's nothing pretty much in here but I believe I've laid out most of the things in this chapter.

So, let me know what you think? Thanks for reading!


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